Horatio clayton simmons



`(No Model.)

STEAM HEATINGA APPARATUS. No. 513,869. Patented Jan. 23, 1894.

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STATES FFIC@ STEAM H EATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,369, dated January23, 1894. i Application tiled January 2d, 1893. Serial No. 459.873. (Nomodel.)

5 mont, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces and inMethods of Using the Same, of which invention the subjoined description,in connection with the accompanying drawings, constitutes a specifi- Iocation.

The invention relates especially to that class of, heaters designed towarm dwellings and other buildings by the diffusion of steam throughpipes and radiators from a stationary It lies partly in specialconstruction of the apparatus employed, and partly in the peculiarmethod of firing and using such specially constructed apparatus. It hasamong other things for its object to maintain a low zo but uniformdegree of boiler pressure throughout the system, to consume a minimum offuel, to secure perfect combustion and the maximum consumption of smokeand gases and to minimize the duties of the attendant.

25 The leading characteristics of the apparatus for carrying out myinvention are: First, an abnormally deep but relatively narrow fire boxwhereby a large body of coal is kept in a compact, columnar mass duringthe process of 3o combustion, the top of the column reaching 3 5 bodyofashes upon their upper surface. These ashes as hereinafter explainedplay an important part in the operation of the furnace. Third.Provisions for draft automatically regulated so as to supply the firewith only as 4o much air as will promote slow and uniform combustionthroughout the Whole column of ignited coal, whereby the-combustiblegases are evolved slowly and only as fast as they can be ignited andconsumed in their passage Fourth. In use the grate is never raked Vorcleared of ashes. When the ash accumulation on the grate bed hasattained a depth demanding relief, only a portion of such accumulationis discharged 5o and this is done by giving one or more of the bars asthe case may require a half or whole turn, thus sweeping out off thebottom ofthe furnace only the ashes lying within reach of the revolvingbar; the superincumbent mass above that point simply settles down andtakes the place of the discharged ashes; but this is not carried to theextent of breaking into the burning mass of live coals in the middle ofthe fire box. y

The successful operation of this boiler and furnace depends upon keepingat all times a bed of ashes under the live coals through which thedirect draft must find its way and in its passage through whichitbecomes heated so as to practically constitute a hot blast.

The invention is fully disclosed in the drawings wherein in Figure l Ihave shown a semielevation of one end of the heater and also asemi-transverse vertical section of thelboiler and its setting taken onthe line l-2 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of theheater taken just in front of the axis of the boiler. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal plan showing the top of the boiler, back damper, position ofthe feed door, duc. Fig. 4 shows a plan of the lire grate.

The apparatus consists of the horizontal boiler B which relatively isquite short, provided with a number of sets of tubular lines (three inthis case,) h, h and h, set in brick in the usual way., It is providedwith a iue chamber at one end which is divided., by the partition 7clocated between the upper and middle sets of tubes, into two divisions Iand K. This chamber is closed by a iiue door Q, by opening which accessto the lues is obtained for purposes of cleaning them. In use this dooris securely and tightly closed. A flue space is left at the opposite endof the boiler which is divided between the middle and lower sets oftubes by the slide damper plate E and between the upper set of tubes andthe top of the boiler is the plate Z. Thus the chambers J and H areconstituted, between Which communication is had through the aperture e,which may be closed by slide G operated by the handle g. Access tochamber J is obtained through door O and passage P for removing depositsaccumulating thereon from cleaning tiues b and b. The fire box and ashpit beneath it are of quite limited horizontal area relatively, but ofexcessive depth. The purpose of which is to burn the coal in columnrather than in a shallow or thin stratum?. spread over the surface of anopen grate.

The walls of the fire box are so constructed that the coal can be filledin close up to the under side of the boiler and so as to touch the sameif desired, and in use the lire box is kept practically so charged.

The grates C C are placed far enough below the boiler to allow aconsiderable depth of ashes as at f to accumulate thereon equivalent tofrom one sixth to one third of the vertical space between the top of thegrate and the under side of the boiler. The direct draft to supportcombustion passes through the openingS and is controlled by the damper swhich is connected by a rod or chain with an automatic regulating steamdiaphragm attached to the boiler, whereby the admission of air to thefire is automatically regulated. The grate consists of a number' of barsC C which are mounted in `the frame C C and are adapted tobe revolved'independently of each other. The frame in which they rest consists of abar of iron C which is bent to the form shown in Fig. 4: its front endsbeing bolted to the cross bar C4. The upper edge 0f this bar is fittedwith bearings in which the bars rest and turn. They are held, confinedin place by the capbar C which is simi-` larly bolted to the bar C. Thismode of construction permits the cap bar to be taken ed so that the barsmay be removed or changed. These bars are set closely together and areso toothed as to pre vent the free sifting of ashes through them, exceptwhen they are turned. Their outer ends are squared for the reception ofa crank or handle by which they may be turned independently of eachother. Each of them is provided with a locking dog CZ which consistssimply of a small piece of metal bent at right angles and pivoted to thecap bar C. To turn the barthis dogis turned up which leaves the bar freeto be revolved. Provisions of some sort for this purpose are necessaryto prevent the rotation of the bars adjacent to the one undermanipulation and thereby disturbing the whole bed of the fire, whenperhaps it is necessary to agitate only a limited part of it. Theseprovisions forlimited agitation of the bed of the fire as well as tolocalize the area of such agitation are essential to the complete andperfect operation of the apparatus. With a proper charge of ashesreposing on them each may be successively and independently rotatedwithout breaking up the bed of the fire so as to let the live coal downwithin the reach or influence of the fresh draft. Asemi-revolution ofy agrate bar will only cause the discharge of the ashes lying in itsimmediate vicinity.

A small perforated pipe Y leads from the external air through the wallof the furnace and bridges one end of the ire box as shown in Figs. land 2, through which fine jets of air to promote the combustion of gasand smoke can find access to the surfaceof the burning coal beneath theboiler.

stead of being located beneath the end of the u same.

Special advantages in connection with the above described features ofconstruction accrue from the altitude and lateral position of the feeddoor. The door being placed abreast the center of the fire box asindicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the fresh coal can be depositedevenly over the bed and the box can be lled up to the bottom of theboiler throughout its entire length as shown.

The top of the brick setting of the boiler is carried up high enough toleave a clear space L between it and the upper side of the boiler fromwhich space communication is made to the chimney, and this space isprotected with a covering of refractory or nonradiating material toretain heat. In this case I have shown as a cover an iron cap in theform of pan or tray filled with sand. Through this pass the steam pipesUU which connect with the manifoldsVV. From these, independent pipes W Wconnect with each radiator so that each may be independently controlled.Water for the boiler is supplied through the pipe X from any convenientsource of supply. The boiler is equipped with the usual fittings,safty-valve, pressure gage, water glass, cocks, dac., which are notshown as they are well understood.

The operative principle upon which this apparatus is constructed andworked is as follows: A bed of ashes f is either spread over or isallowed to accumulate on the grate of a sufficient depth to effectuallyrestrict and obstruct a free supply of air to the fire from below. Thisbedding of ashes also serves another and important purpose of preventingthe radiation of heat from the fire downwardly to the ashpit, thusaiding to conserve all the efficiency of the coal. Upon this ash bed thelire is maintained and controlled in the following manner: The firechamberbeing prepared and charged as above described and generally withcoal enough to last from twelve to twenty-four hours,the diaphragmconnections for controlling the damper s are properly adjusted and so asto admit the least adequate volume of air. When sufficient steam hasdeveloped to expel the air from and charge with steam the system ofpipes and radiators and produce the proper temperature, the damper swill close. For this purpose a pressure of from two to ten pounds ofsteam according to varying conditions under which the apparatus isworking, is sufficient. This pressure is obtained when the coal is in adull red state of ignition, the lowest portion of the fire next to orjust above the ash bed as at f being in the highest state of ignition.As is well known, in the initiatory stages of combustion the gases givenoff are much richer in carbon than in the last stages, when morehydrogen is developed, and the supply of air to effect IOO IIO

combustion of these gases being admitted at one end of the fire box andat the top of the fuel close to the boiler, the flame thus created musttravel the whole length of the boiler` the bed of the tire is kept clearof the ashes.,

The combustion is so complete and perfect that everything combustible isburned clean so that the residuum is nothing but a clean ash entirelyfree from cinders or coke.

As the economy and efficiency of any steam generator depends on holdingthe temperature under the boiler down as closely as possible to thepoint which will barely generate sufficient steam to charge the pipesand radiators and compensate for the condensation, it has been foundthat all coal burning apparatus or furnaces for heating boilers, inwhich there is no muftling of the under side of the burning coal toretard combustion as herein provided, burn coal wastefully andconsequently generate too much steam pressure and a large amount of heatis wasted. Such' apparatus cannot be well controlled in mild Weather orunder moderate temperatures.

' Vhen only a moderate heat is required, the

be found expedient; or by opening damper G the circulation through thetubes b and b can be checked and the same sent directly from the firechamber to the upper set of tubes b and thence through tlue L to thechimney.

I therefore claim as my inventionl. The combination with a horizontaltubular boiler, of the described close fire box of columnar proportions,having its feed door located abreast the approximate longitudinal centerof one side of the boiler and above the lplane of the underside of thesame, and having a grated bottom composed of independently rotatablegrate bars of fine mesh, and a draft aperture beneath said re box',substantially in the manner described and for the purposes specified.

2. In combination with a horizontal steam boiler, an incasement orsetting fitted with a feed door horizontally and laterally opposite thelower half of the boiler, a passageway for fuel leading downwardlytherefrom to the bottom of the fire box and opening inwardly to theunder side of the boiler so that fuel may be supplied to the fire andbanked up in close contact with the under side of the boiler,substantially in the manner described and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereto subscribed my name, at the village ofNorth Bennington, Vermont, this 31st day of December, A. D. 1892.

H. CLAYTON SIMMONS. In presence of- EMILY SCOTT, FRANKLIN SCOTT.

